# New England Collegiate Baseball League

The New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) is a 13-team collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league founded in 1993 and sanctioned by the NCAA and Major League Baseball. Each NECBL team plays an eight-week, 44-game schedule during June and July, with a playoff in early August. Like the Cape Cod Baseball League and other amateur leagues, the NECBL is a showcase for top college-level players, giving professional baseball scouts a chance to see prospective pros playing against each other. Along with the Cape Cod Baseball League, Northwoods League, and Coastal Plain League, it is considered one of the top summer leagues in the country and is a part of the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball. In 2019, the Collegiate Summer Baseball Register ranked the NECBL as the 2nd best collegiate summer baseball league, behind only the Cape Cod League.
Founded in 1993, the NECBL began its direction under George Foster, former Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets All-Star and Major League Baseball home run leader, and Emmy Award-winning television producer/director Joseph Consentino. Play started in 1994 and today the NECBL plays in all six New England states. It recruits players attending U.S. colleges from New England, the other 44 states, and foreign countries, provided that they come from NCAA-sanctioned colleges or universities, are in good academic standing, have completed at least one year of athletic eligibility, and have at least one year of eligibility remaining.
The NECBL's current commissioner is Sean McGrath, former general manager of the North Adams SteepleCats. McGrath replaced Mario Tiani, who retired following the 2012 season.

## League structure

The NECBL became a 13-team league in 2013 with the addition of teams in Rhode Island (Ocean State Waves), Massachusetts (Plymouth Pilgrims) and New York (Saratoga Brigade) (the league's first team to operate outside New England), but reverted to 12 teams after the Brigade folded. On October 30, 2015, the league announced that the Upper Valley Nighthawks would begin play in 2016 in Hartford, Vermont, bringing the league back to 13 teams. The Plymouth Pilgrims ceased operations after the 2018 season but were replaced by the Martha's Vineyard Sharks, a former member of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL). The New Bedford BaySox ceased after the 2019 season, replaced by the Bristol Blues, who also moved from the FCBL. The North Shore Navigators returned to the league in 2021 after nine years in the FCBL. The Winnipesaukee Muskrats folded following the 2022 season after the league's governing board rejected the team's strategy to house players.

## Teams
### Current teams

* West Division
* North Division
* Coastal Division
New England Collegiate Baseball League :
| Division | Team | Founded | City | Stadium | Capacity |
| Coastal |
| Coastal | Martha's Vineyard Sharks | 2010 | Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts | The Shark Tank | ^2,000 |
| Coastal | Mystic Schooners | 1994 | Groton, Connecticut | Fitch High School | >1,000 |
| Coastal | Newport Gulls | 1998 | Newport, Rhode Island | Cardines Field | 3,250 |
| Coastal | North Shore Navigators | 2008 | Lynn, Massachusetts | Fraser Field | 3,804 |
| Coastal | Ocean State Waves | 2013 | South Kingstown, Rhode Island | Old Mountain Field | ^2,000 |
| Division | Team | Founded | City | Stadium | Capacity |
| North |
| North | Keene Swamp Bats | 1997 | Keene, New Hampshire | Alumni Field | 4,800 |
| North | Sanford Mainers | 2002 | Sanford, Maine | Goodall Park | 950 |
| North | Upper Valley Nighthawks | 2016 | Hartford, Vermont | Maxfield Sports Complex | 1,500 |
| North | Vermont Mountaineers | 2003 | Montpelier, Vermont | Montpelier Recreation Field | 1,200 |
| Division | Team | Founded | City | Stadium | Capacity |
| West |
| West | Bristol Blues | 2015 | Bristol, Connecticut | Muzzy Field | 4,900 |
| West | Danbury Westerners | 1995 | Danbury, Connecticut | Rogers Park | ^2,500 |
| West | North Adams SteepleCats | 2002 | North Adams, Massachusetts | Joe Wolfe Field | 1,800 |
| West | Valley Blue Sox | 2001 | Holyoke, Massachusetts | Mackenzie Stadium | 4,100 |
* A caret (^) denotes an approximate capacity, including lawn seating.
* ↑ The Sharks played in the FCBL from 2010–2018.
* ↑ The Schooners are the only surviving charter franchise.
* ↑ The Navigators played in the FCBL from 2012–2020.
* ↑ The Blues played in the FCBL from 2015–2019.

### Relocated or renamed teams

| Team | City | Stadium | Capacity | Years | History |
| Waterbury White Sox | Waterbury, Connecticut | Municipal Stadium | 6,000 | 1994 | Became the Waterbury Barons |
| Eastern Tides | Willimantic, Connecticut | Eastern Baseball Stadium | 1,500 | 1994–2001 | Became the Thread City Tides |
| Thread City Tides | Willimantic, Connecticut | Eastern Baseball Stadium | 1,500 | 2002–2003 | Became the Berkshire Dukes |
| Berkshire Dukes | Hinsdale, Massachusetts | Dan Duquette Sports Academy | | 2004 | Became the Pittsfield Dukes |
| Pittsfield Dukes | Pittsfield, Massachusetts | Wahconah Park | 4,500 | 2005–2008 | Became the Pittsfield American Defenders |
| Pittsfield American Defenders | Pittsfield, Massachusetts | Wahconah Park | 4,500 | 2009 | Became the Bristol Collegiate Baseball Club |
| Bristol Collegiate Baseball Club | Bristol, Connecticut | Muzzy Field | 4,900 | 2010 | Became the Mystic Schooners |
| Middletown Giants | Middletown, Connecticut | Palmer Field | 3,500 | 1994–2003 | Became the Holyoke Giants |
| Holyoke Giants | Holyoke, Massachusetts | Mackenzie Stadium | 4,100 | 2004–2007 | Became the North Shore Navigators |
| Rhode Island Reds | West Warwick, Rhode Island | McCarthy Field | 2,500 | 1996–2000 | Became the Riverpoint Royals |
| Torrington Twisters | Torrington, Connecticut | Fuessenich Park | 1,500 | 1997–2008 | Became the New Bedford Bay Sox |
| Rhode Island Gulls | Cranston, Rhode Island | Cranston Stadium | 4,500 | 1998–2000 | Became the Newport Gulls. |
| Mill City All-Americans | Lowell, Massachusetts | Stoklosa Alumni Field | 4,000 | 2000–2006 | Renamed the Lowell All-Americans |
| Lowell All-Americans | Lowell, Massachusetts | Stoklosa Alumni Field | 4,000 | 2007–2010 | Became the Old Orchard Beach Raging Tide |
| Manchester Silkworms | Manchester, Connecticut | Northwest Park | | 2000–2009 | Became the Laconia Muskrats |
| Laconia Muskrats | Laconia, New Hampshire | Robbie Mills Field | 1,200 | 2010-2015 | Became the Winnipesaukee Muskrats |
| Concord Quarry Dogs | Concord, New Hampshire | Warren H. Doane Diamond | 1,200 | 2001–2007 | Became the Holyoke Blue Sox, now the Valley Blue Sox |

### Defunct teams

| Team | City | Stadium | Capacity | Years |
| Fairfield Stallions | Fairfield, Connecticut | Alumni Baseball Diamond | 1,000 | 1994 |
| Bristol Nighthawks | Bristol, Connecticut | Muzzy Field | 4,900 | 1994–1995 |
| Waterbury Barons | Waterbury, Connecticut | Municipal Stadium | 6,000 | 1994–1996 |
| Central Mass Collegians | Leominster, Massachusetts | Doyle Field | 6,200 | 1995–1999 |
| Riverpoint Royals | West Warwick, Rhode Island | McCarthy Field | 2,500 | 1996–2004 |
| Old Orchard Beach Raging Tide | Old Orchard Beach, Maine | The Ball Park | 6,000 | 2000–2011 |
| Saratoga Brigade | Saratoga Springs, New York | East Side Recreation | | 2013 |
| Plymouth Pilgrims | Plymouth, Massachusetts | Forges Field | | 2013-2018 |
| New Bedford Bay Sox | New Bedford, Massachusetts | Paul Walsh Field | | 1997–2019 |
| Winnipesaukee Muskrats | Laconia, New Hampshire | Robbie Mills Field | 1,200 | 2010-2022 |

## Season structure

In the 2021 season, the league was divided into two seven-team divisions, the North Division and the South Division. During the regular season, teams played 44 regular-season games, solely against division opponents, because of COVID-19 travel concerns. Scheduled doubleheaders were seven-inning games.
The top four teams from each division qualified for the eight-team playoff bracket, in which teams played best-of-three series to determine the champion.
For 2022, the NECBL went to three divisions, with a single pair of games against each out-of-division team. The league retained the three-division format through the 2024 season. In 2025, the NECBL returned to the two-division format with six teams in the North Division and seven in the South.

## Past champions

Total NECBL Fay Vincent Cup Records :
| Franchise | Titles | Last title | Appearances |
| Newport Gulls | 8 | 2024 | 13 |
| Keene Swamp Bats | 5 | 2019 | 7 |
| North Shore Navigators | 4 | 2010 | 4 |
| Middletown Giants | 3 | 1999 | 3 |
| Vermont Mountaineers | 3 | 2015 | 6 |
| Central Mass Collegians | 2 | 1996 | 2 |
| Mystic Schooners | 2 | 2016 | 3 |
| Sanford Mainers | 2 | 2008 | 4 |
| Valley Blue Sox | 2 | 2018 | 2 |
| Danbury Westerners | 1 | 2021 | 5 |
| Martha's Vineyard Sharks | 1 | 2022 | 2 |
| New Bedford Bay Sox | 0 | | 4 |
| Ocean State Waves | 0 | | 2 |
| Bristol Nighthawks | 0 | | 1 |
| Winnipesaukee Muskrats | 0 | | 1 |
| Waterbury Barons | 0 | | 1 |
| Riverpoint Royals | 0 | | 0 |
| Fairfield Stallions | 0 | | 0 |
| North Adams SteepleCats | 0 | | 0 |
| Plymouth Pilgrims | 0 | | 0 |
| Saratoga Brigade | 0 | | 0 |
| Old Orchard Beach Raging Tide | 0 | | 0 |
| Upper Valley Nighthawks | 0 | | 0 |
In the NECBL's history, the most successful team is the Newport Gulls, with eight league championships and thirteen championship series appearances (including one championship appearance as the Cranston, Rhode Island–based Rhode Island Gulls). The Keene Swamp Bats are next with five league titles and the North Shore Navigators have four.
| Year | Winning Team | Series | Losing Team |
| 1994 | Eastern Tides | 3–2 | Bristol Nighthawks |
| 1995 | Central Mass Collegians | 2–0 | Waterbury Barons |
| 1996 | Central Mass Collegians | 2–1 | Danbury Westerners |
| 1997 | Middletown Giants | 2–1 | Torrington Twisters |
| 1998 | Middletown Giants | 3–1 | Torrington Twisters |
| 1999 | Middletown Giants | 3–1 | Danbury Westerners |
| 2000 | Keene Swamp Bats | 2–1 | Rhode Island Gulls |
| 2001 | Newport Gulls | 2–1 | Keene Swamp Bats |
| 2002 | Newport Gulls | 2–0 | Keene Swamp Bats |
| 2003 | Keene Swamp Bats | 2–0 | Torrington Twisters |
| 2004 | Sanford Mainers | 2–1 | Newport Gulls |
| 2005 | Newport Gulls | 2–0 | Vermont Mountaineers |
| 2006 | Vermont Mountaineers | 2–0 | Torrington Twisters |
| 2007 | Vermont Mountaineers | 2–0 | Newport Gulls |
| 2008 | Sanford Mainers | 2–0 | Newport Gulls |
| 2009 | Newport Gulls | 2–1 | Vermont Mountaineers |
| 2010 | North Shore Navigators | 2–1 | Danbury Westerners |
| 2011 | Keene Swamp Bats | 2–0 | Laconia Muskrats |
| 2012 | Newport Gulls | 2–0 | Danbury Westerners |
| 2013 | Keene Swamp Bats | 2–1 | Newport Gulls |
| 2014 | Newport Gulls | 2–0 | Sanford Mainers |
| 2015 | Vermont Mountaineers | 2-1 | Mystic Schooners |
| 2016 | Mystic Schooners | 2-0 | Sanford Mainers |
| 2017 | Valley Blue Sox | 2-0 | Ocean State Waves |
| 2018 | Valley Blue Sox | 2-0 | Ocean State Waves |
| 2019 | Keene Swamp Bats | 2-0 | Martha's Vineyard Sharks |
| 2020 | None (season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic) | None (season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic) | None (season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic) |
| 2021 | Danbury Westerners | 2-0 | North Shore Navigators |
| 2022 | Martha's Vineyard Sharks | 2-0 | Vermont Mountaineers |
| 2023 | Newport Gulls | 2-0 | Bristol Blues |
| 2024 | Newport Gulls | 2-1 | Sanford Mainers |

## All-Star Game

The All-Star Game usually takes place from mid- to late July. Prior to the game a Home Run Derby is held and, since the 2007 All-Star Game, a Special Skill Competition for Most Accurate Arm and Fastest Runner.
| Year | Winning Team | Score | Venue | Host team | Attendance | MVP |
| 1994 | Bristol Nighthawks | 6-0 | Muzzy Field | Bristol Nighthawks | | |
| 1995 | | | | | | Matt Zawalich, Waterbury Barons |
| 1996 | | | | | | Dana Forsberg, Central Mass Collegians |
| 1997 | | | | | | Keith Surkont, Rhode Island Reds |
| 1998 | | | Fuessenich Park | Torrington Twisters | | Clarke Caudill, Middletown Giants |
| 1999 | | | | | | Mark Malaska, Danbury Westerners |
| 2000 | | | Alumni Field | Keene Swamp Bats | | Jon Watterson, Keene Swamp Bats Cy Hess, Eastern Tides |
| 2001 | National Division | 9-4 | Northwest Park | Manchester Silkworms | 776 | Joe Apotheke, Danbury Westerners |
| 2002 | National Division | 4-3 | Eastern Baseball Stadium | Thread City Tides | 1,000 | Rocky Baker, Keene Swamp Bats |
| 2003 | Northern Division | 6-0 | Warren H. Doane Diamond at Memorial Field | Concord Quarry Dogs | 1,326 | Josh DiScipio, Concord Quarry Dogs |
| 2004 | Southern Division | 7-4 | Montpelier Recreation Field | Vermont Mountaineers | 4,127 | P.J. Antoniato, Manchester Silkworms |
| 2005 | Southern Division | 7-2 | Cardines Field | Newport Gulls | 2,856 | Chris Cates, North Adams SteepleCats |
| 2006 | Northern Division | 6-2 | Alumni Field | Keene Swamp Bats | 3,183 | Cheyne Hurst, Keene Swamp Bats |
| 2007 | Southern Division | 8-0 | Joe Wolfe Field | North Adams SteepleCats | 4,210 | Ozzie Borrell, North Adams SteepleCats |
| 2008 | Southern Division | 5-2 | Fuessenich Park | Torrington Twisters | 2,314 | Mike Melillo, Newport Gulls |
| 2009 | West Division | 6-5 | Mackenzie Stadium | Holyoke Blue Sox | 4,906 | Jake Rosenbeck, Holyoke Blue Sox |
| 2010 | East Division | 12-0 | Cardines Field | Newport Gulls | 2,852 | Jason Banos, North Shore Navigators |
| 2011 | East Division | 3-1 | Fraser Field | North Shore Navigators | 2,112 | Jack Reinheimer, Newport Gulls |
| 2012 | West Division | 11-6 | Montpelier Recreation Field | Vermont Mountaineers | 2,106 | Johnny Mishu, Vermont Mountaineers |
| 2013 | East Division | 2-1 | Robbie Mills Field | Laconia Muskrats | 1,012 | Joe Torres, Laconia Muskrats |
| 2014 | North All-Stars | 4-3 | Mackenzie Stadium | Holyoke Blue Sox | 2671 | Jared Mederos, Keene Swamp Bats |
| 2015 | N/A (game cancelled due to rain) | N/A | Goodall Park | Sanford Mariners | N/A | N/A |
| 2016 | Tie | 8-8 | Cardines Field | Newport Gulls | 3116 | Jordan Howard (Keene Swamp Bats) and Darrien Ragains (New Bedford Bay Sox) |
| 2017 | Tie | 5-5 | Joe Wolfe Field | North Adams Steeple Cats | 2316 | Colby Maiola, Sanford Mainers |
| 2018 | South All-Stars | 4-3 | MacKenzie Stadium | Holyoke Blue Sox | | Randy Taveras, Danbury Westerners |
| 2019 | N/A (rained out mid game) | 1-0 | Montpelier Recreation Field | Vermont Mountaineers | | N/A |
| 2020 | Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2021 | Northern Division | 6-2 | Cardines Field | Newport Gulls | | Max Viera, Upper Valley Nighthawks |
| 2022 | Southern Division | 13-2 | Vineyard Baseball Park | Martha's Vineyard Sharks | 5469 | Thomas Bramley, Martha's Vineyard Sharks |
| 2023 | West Division | 5-1 | Fraser Field | North Shore Navigators | 3951 | Kevin Bruggeman, Upper Valley Nighthawks |
| 2024 | East Division | 3-0 | Muzzy Field | Bristol Blues | 2206 | Colin Barczi, Sanford Mainers |

### Home Run Derby winners

| Year | Winner | Team |
| 1997 | Steven Wright | Torrington Twisters |
| 1998 | Gil Barkman | Keene Swamp Bats |
| 1999 | Jeff Keppinger | Keene Swamp Bats |
| 2000 | Val Majewski | Eastern Tides |
| 2001 | Mike Bohlander | Newport Gulls |
| 2002 | Mike Wagner | North Adams SteepleCats |
| 2003 | Kyle Keen | Keene Swamp Bats |
| 2004 | Doug Hehner | Manchester Silkworms |
| 2005 | John Fitzpatrick | Manchester Silkworms |
| 2006 | Matt Sutton | Concord Quarry Dogs |
| 2007 | Kyle Bellows | Holyoke Giants |
| 2008 | Michael Olt | Danbury Westerners |
| 2009 | Jacob Rogers | Keene Swamp Bats |
| 2010 | Ben Klafczynski | Keene Swamp Bats |
| 2011 | N/A | N/A |
| 2012 | Danny Collins | Winnipesaukee Muskrats |
| 2013 | Nate LaPointe | Sanford Mainers |
| 2014 | Blaise Salter | Newport Gulls |
| 2015 | Tim Lynch | Ocean State Waves |
| 2016 | Gabe Snyder | Newport Gulls |
| 2017 | Robert Boselli III | Keene Swamp Bats |
| 2018 | Lorenzo Hampton | Keene Swamp Bats |
| 2019 | Terry Bowen | Mystic Schooners |
| 2020 | N/A | Canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2021 | Luke Franzoni | Valley Blue Sox |
| 2022 | Ryan Ignoffo | Upper Valley Nighthawks |
| 2023 | Anthony Steele | Danbury Westerners |
| 2024 | Jakobi Davis | Danbury Westerners |

## Notable alumni

The following former NECBL players have gone on to play in Major League Baseball. Former NECBL players have reached the major league rosters of all thirty MLB teams, the thirtieth team being the Philadelphia Phillies when, in September 2015, Brian Bogusevic debuted with the team.

## Media

All NECBL games are broadcast online through the NECBL Broadcast Network from Blueframe, with Pointstreak providing live stats for all games.
On May 14, 2010, the league signed an agreement with Pointstreak. Pointstreak provides "real-time scoring, official statistics, and administration services" to the NECBL. A highlight of Pointstreak's services is Game Live, a real-time statistics feature providing play-by-play for every NECBL game.
In 2020, the league announced that Blueframe would provide the official streaming service for the league.